Proposing in Their Coffee Shop to Sonata
by koolgirl1120
Summary: Tania Banks (aka Sonata - honorary Avenger) has been through a lot in the past year. She's gained and lost several fears, cheated death more times than she can count, and finally joined SHIELD; as a precaution. They all say she's strong, but maybe everything is finally catching up to her. This time, she's not the one who needs protecting - but she might die anyway. Steve/OC Part 4
1. Prologue

**A/N. Hi everyone! Miss me? I missed this story and all of you guys you review! I'll be honest, I haven't written much (at all) because I've literally been SO busy. I thought around now I'd be less busy but it turned out to be quite the opposite. I did promise to return in December though so here I am, however I'm warning you that updates will be scattered. I'll give you guys two options. 1) I post whenever I can which may be hours or weeks apart (no longer than a month I swear); OR 2) We wait until I have a good chunk of the story written out and then I post regularly. Which would you prefer? As a side-yet-related-note, Around February I PROMISE I will have more time to write but right now I'm just... gah. So much to do! Anyway, I won't keep you guys waiting long. Here's the prologue which i showed you guys a sneak peak last time and the first chapter is on its way today. I hope you guys like it. Enjoy! :D**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Disney's MARVEL's The Avengers.**

**PROLOGUE**

"Dad, this is the second time in the past year! Honestly, what are you doing with your life?" she asked exasperatedly. She clutched her red leather bag in her lap as she stared at him through the glass wall that separated them.

He laughed joyfully; as if he weren't in jail – again. "Oh Honey, relax." He waved a hand nonchalantly at her. "I'll be back out in a jiffy."

"No one says that anymore," she deadpanned. "And it's been months!"

"I know, I know. My lawyers are still working on it."

"It's going to be really, really tough, Dad. I don't think you're gonna make it this time."

"Have faith in your old pop, huh? Come on Tini, please?"

She sighed. "Da-_ad_…" she whined.

"Justine." His tone was firm, like he was scolding her. "I will get out of here."

"Yeah, in fifty years," she mumbled under her breath.

"I'm going to pretend that I didn't hear that. In the meantime, you're watching over my company, right?"

She groaned. "Dad, I'm sixteen! No one takes me seriously and they all think you're crazy for putting me in charge!"

He chuckled. "Well that's because they don't know you like I do. You were born to do this."

"I know. I was born to be your heir, and nothing more."

His smile fell off his face. "Justine,-"

"Just don't!" she exclaimed, standing abruptly. Her chair scraped against the linoleum noisily. "I don't even want to hear you try! You don't even care that you've been in jail so many times that I hardly ever see you anymore! Everyone at school hates me! They all think I'm evil and deranged and I have no friends! And when you come home somehow, you're always so focused on destroying the competition that you completely forget about me!"

"That's not true-!"

"YES IT IS! When you get thrown in jail, you make ME run the company when I'm still in high school! Do you know how hard that is?"

"I thought the school year just ended?"

"You're missing the point!" She stomped her foot, face red. "You have never been there for me! You are negligent and careless and self-absorbed and you are no better than mom!"

He pounded his fists on the table and shoved his chair back, pushing himself to his feet. "Justine Hammer you take that back right now!"

"NO! You can't boss me around anymore! Every decision you make revolves around you and I can't take it anymore! I've never been a factor in any of your decisions so you're not going to be a factor in mine!"

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying…" Tears sprang from her eyes. "I'm saying that I don't want to see you anymore!" She grabbed her schoolbag from the floor along with her purse and scurried towards the door.

"Justine!" He yelled, pounding his fist against the glass. "Justine get back here! JUSTINE!"

"Mr. Hammer, I'm going to have to ask you to return to your cell."

Justin stared at the doorway his daughter had run through, chest heaving. He didn't hear the officer behind him. Only when his arm was grabbed did he turn. The man "escorted" him back to his cell as Justin craned his neck to watch the doorway, praying for his daughter to come back – she didn't.

* * *

Outside, Justine finally let the tears fall as she walked away from the prison. She turned away the limo waiting for her. She would walk. She wanted to be alone with her thoughts. Her right hand remained glued over her mouth and nose as she cried and made her way towards her home several blocks away. She knew the city like the back of her hand and could find her way easily. She had always had an astute sense of direction.

With that in mind, she turned a sharp corner and entered an alleyway. It was dark out, but the many lights of New York City kept even the alley illuminated in a gentle glow. She sobbed hard and listened to the rhythmic click of her heels as she walked forward. It was soothing in a way she couldn't explain, but she didn't feel any better.

She was about halfway through her shortcut when she felt herself being thrown to the side. She collided with the brick wall and fell into a couple of metal trashcans, knocking them over and landing in a pile of gross garbage. She sucked in a sharp gasp and tried to push herself up when her body was lifted from the ground with seeming ease. But she couldn't feel any hands or sense someone else's presence; not that that mattered when she found herself suddenly vaulted forward.

She rammed face first into the harsh ground and rolled with the momentum, landing roughly on her back. She groaned as her heart pounded with fear. What was happening? Her head was yanked into the wall and she heard more than felt the hollow BONK in the night. Her hair elastic snapped and her dirty blonde hair fell around her shoulders.

Searing pain erupted in her temples and began to spread towards the back of her head and down the nape of her neck. She cried out in pain and clutched at her hair in a failed attempt to make it stop. It stung in ways she could have never imagined and she could feel her eyes glazing over.

"STOP!" She shrieked. "PLEASE! STOP!" More tears cascaded down her cheeks from the pain and suffering.

An unfamiliar voice echoed in her head, bouncing around the confines of her mind. It reminded her of nails on a chalkboard and the chimes of bells at the same time. Oh God, everything HURT. "It will be over soon, human. You shall no longer feel pain. You shall no longer feel anything at all."

She threw her head back as her vision blurred and she couldn't see anything anymore, despite knowing that her eyes her wide open. She could sense the man's wide smirk and she despised it. "GO AWAY!" She screamed at him.

He chuckled. "I don't think so."

"Who… are… you?" the pain began to subside, and with it, most of her conscious thoughts. It was like her mind was being sucked into a vacuum slowly and painfully until her head was empty. A bright, glowing blue crept over her normally grey eyes and covered them completely. Her face and body relaxed and she slumped against the wall of the alleyway, exhausted.

The voice returned to her empty head, louder than before. "I… am Loki."


	2. Chapter I

**A/N. Hi again! Here's chapter 1! Enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer - I don't own the Avengers**

**CHAPTER I**

"Ladies and Gentlemen, the class of TWENTY-THIRTEEN!"

Hundreds of graduation caps were thrown so high into the air, they almost looked like white specs in the clear blue sky. Pandemonium erupted from the crowd with cheers and hollers and roaring applause. Then it was raining hats.

A gown-clad arm shot up from the audience and grabbed one before twirling it with one hand and plopping it sideways on his head, covering one brown eye. He snorted and grinned from ear to ear.

"Is that even your hat?" A woman, shorter than him with long brown hair and an unmistakable sibling characteristic about her, shouted over the noise.

"Who the hell cares?" He yelled back, one hand holding the cap to his head. "I FUCKING GRADUATED!" He tossed it in the air again, losing it – again.

She laughed and grabbed his arm, tugging him into a brother-sister bear hug. "I'm so proud of you Gray," she whispered in his ear. Tears began to prick the corners of her eyes but the smile was plastered on her face.

He laughed and squeezed her tightly, tears threatening to fall from his own eyes – not that his manly pride would ever let that happen. "Thanks Tani."

They shared a beautiful, tender moment amongst the crowd, just the two of them. Bodies weaved in, out, and around them, pushing, shoving, tapping, avoiding. People chattered away here and there and everywhere. The sun beat down harshly on the graduating class of NYU and their guests, but neither Tania nor Graham cared. It was just them, just like it used to be.

After a minute, they both pulled away, and suddenly everything came rushing back in: the sounds, the smells, the temperature, the colours, the people. Linking arms, the two of them made their way through the rambunctious crowd toward the parking lot not too far away. It took a little while, but with the help of GPS Satellite via JARVIS via Tania's phone, they managed to locate her car just fine – except it wasn't her car.

Graham's jaw dropped and his eyes were wider than saucers. "I-Is that… for me?"

"Ta-da?" She said shyly.

A few feet in front of them was the shiniest, sleekest, most expensive car Graham had ever laid his eyes on. It was a vivid orange and there were black race stripes that ran horizontal along the sides and over all four doors of the vehicle. Best of all, it was a freaking _convertible_. The giant blue ribbon wrapped around it only made it that much better.

All he could do was squeak.

She chuckled and tucked a strand of hair that had come loose from her bun behind her ear. "Courtesy of the Avengers. They all chipped in. Kinda makes my gift seem lame."

He squeaked again.

She rolled her eyes. "Alright, hop in."

Graham shot forward like a rocket and ripped the ribbon off his brand new car. He leaped over the driver side door and landed on the comfy, cushioned seats. He fist-pumped and bit his lip. "I've always wanted to do that!"

She tossed him the keys and walked around to the passenger side before getting in like a normal person. "Start 'er up."

A giant, goofy grin almost stretched his face in half as he inserted the key into the ignition. The vehicle purred softly. He sniffled playfully and pretended to wipe away a tear. "It's so beautiful," he choked out.

She rolled her eyes. "Let's go already! There's a party at the Tower waiting for you."

Suddenly, he didn't seem as happy. It was as if he had been a light bulb on full blast and someone had just dimmed him. He grabbed hold of the steering wheel with both hands and stared at the horn with intensity. "Can we go somewhere first?"

She furrowed her eyebrows, puzzled. "Where to?"

He shrugged, not removing his eyes from the wheel. "I dunno. Somewhere for lunch?"

"There will be food at the…"

He turned to her and stared into her eyes, more serious than she had seen him since… well since January. Alarm bells were going off in her head. So she nodded her consent. "Sure. Take it away."

He inclined his head in acknowledgement and sped away from his University without a second glance. As they drove on the bright sunny day, she slowly saw the grin creep back onto his face. It was hard not to smile in a car like this.

With the roof down and the music blasting, the two of them sang their hearts out to Bon Jovi and didn't care who saw or heard. It was just the two of them.

"_It's you and me against the world, Gray. No one else. Just us."_

They arrived at a seafood restaurant and she grabbed a table while he changed clothes in the restroom. He returned a couple minutes later in jeans, a white tee, and a blue plaid collared shirt left unbuttoned. He ran his hand through his hair and tucked the gown under his arm before sliding in the booth across from his sister.

"Hey."

"Hey."

"Long time no see."

She snorted. "Uh huh."

There was a pause as the two of them perused their menus. He would occasionally turn a page forward, then backward, then forward again. Tania closed up her menu silently. She watched him from across the table, scrutinizing him with an older sister's watchful eye. He flipped the pages back and forth, back and forth, eyes barely moving. He was not on this Earth – he was somewhere far away, and floating higher and higher by the second.

Having had enough, she reached over the table, clothes rustling, and tenderly slid her fingers into his. Brown eyes shot up to meet hers in surprise. She didn't say a thing; waiting. When he was ready, he'd confess.

More silence followed. He opened his mouth-

"Hi there, my name is Brenda, and I'll be your server today. Can I start you off with any drinks?" A young Asian woman approached their table, hands clasped in front of her and a bright smile on her face.

Graham and Tania smiled awkwardly at the waitress, still reeling from their serious gaze being broken.

"I'll, uh, I'll have a coke. Diet, please," Graham said, scratching his chin.

"A Shirley temple. Thank you."

She nodded. "I'll be right back with those. Call me over if you need anything." With a friendly wave, she was off.

Tania turned back to her brother. "You were saying…?"

Graham sighed. "I… I don't know how to tell you this."

She furrowed her eyebrows, not sure what he could be talking about. And why mention it today? Did he and Darcy break up? Did he get a job somewhere far away? Was it something about their dad? Was it getting hot in here? She reached over to her hand and twisted the ring on her finger; around and around and around.

He rubbed the back of his neck furiously. "I…" He sucked in a deep breath. "I joined the military."

…

"Huh?"

He leaned forward on the table, hands clasped, elbows leaning on the edge. "I'm going to Iraq. And soon."

She stopped breathing. Her heart pounded. Everything blurred. All she could hear was the rushing of waves as the waitress reappeared and set their drinks on the set coasters. She didn't register it. The-

"Military?" she breathed, slouching forward.

Graham tilted his head, worry in his eyes. "Yeah. Hey, you okay?"

"Yo-you're leaving?" She could have never imagined this.

He nodded, ducking his head a little. "Uh huh. I leave on the first."

The first. Of July. In one week. _Woah_.

"Why?"

Fiddling with the napkin on the table, he answered: "I just… it's hard to explain. I suppose the simplest, easiest way to explain it would be… I want to be a hero. Not for glory or fame or money or anything like that. I… I want to help people. I want to serve my country. I want to do more with my life than just… living with the Avengers – people who save lives every day – and pretend to be oblivious to all the bad stuff that goes on out there. I would regret it forever if… if I didn't do _something_." He looked up, catching her gaze. "Tania… when you were… _gone_, I felt… helpless. There wasn't anything I could do. I was too far. Inexperienced. Not an agent of SHIELD. I wasn't…" he sighed, running both hands through his hair and squeezing his eyes shut. "I have to do it. I have… I have to. I don't know if that made any sense, but I can't just stand by in this new world we live in… one where people… _mutants_… are starting to emerge. Villains with super powers exist. Aliens might want to conquer our planet. Other aliens (namely Asgardians) will try and protect us. It's all bat-shit crazy, even over a year after it all started. I've gotta do my part. I… yeah," he ended lamely.

The first tear slid down her cheek. She wiped it away and took a swig from her Shirley Temple. The cool drink slid down wrong and she choked, eyes watering and airway blocked. She waved frantically and Graham patted her back from across the booth. When she finally managed to take in deep gulps of air, she wiped her face with the back of her arm.

The waitress came back to take their order. They both swore she had the _worst_ timing. They ordered their food and then patiently waited until she left. Then she gave her overdue reply.

"I'm not going to stop you, Gray. If you think… _know_… it's the right thing to do… then by all means, do it. I just… this is so sudden. I can't- I can't deal. Now. I… ugh." She slid down on the bench, resting her head against the back. She closed her eyes. "Does Darcy know?"

There was another long silence, filled only with the chitter chatter of the other clients and staff around them. The chinking of glasses, laughter of customers, and scuffling footsteps along with the sounds from the TVS in each corner of the room were all background noise to their little bubble – pretty much non-existent.

"No."

She nodded. "Anyone?"

"No. Just you."

"Right."

"… so you're not… mad at me?"

She blinked and sat up. "No, of course not! I just…" she sniffled. Suddenly, tear drops were flowing from her eyes; leaking despite her protests.

Graham's guilt gnawed at his stomach like a dog with a bone. His face fell and he quickly switched sides to sit next to his sister. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders and pressed his lips to her hair, quietly shushing her. "It's okay… It's okay… It's okay…" he kept repeating to her in hushed whispers, over and over again.

The pretty server walked by, saw the scene, and quickly kept going – deciding she wasn't going to check up on them just yet.

Tania laughed nervously. "I'm sorry," she apologized, rubbing at her eyes furiously. "My… I'm just all over the place right now. My emotions are up and down and I…" She buried her face in his shoulder. "You're leaving me."

Graham's eyes closed and he squeezed her tighter. "I know. I'm sorry. But it's like when you went off to university."

"But we both knew you'd follow!"

"After a few years. It's the same here. I'll leave for a few years and then I'll come back."

"But what if you _don't_ come back!" she shouted, pushing away from him. Her eyes were red-rimmed and puffy and in them, he saw his own reflection. He was on the verge of matching her expression.

"I…" he didn't have an answer to that. There were so many risks of being in the army. So. Many. He couldn't possibly list them all. So he just hugged her tightly – maybe one of the last times before he left. Maybe one of the last times – _ever_. That's when his first tear fell.

"I know this is selfish… so don't listen to me… but don't leave."

He sobbed, trying desperately not to let it out. "I want to. But I don't want to."

"I love you."

He chuckled. "I love you too, sis."

"I'm so incredibly proud of you."

"Tania, Tania, this isn't good-bye. Let's stop treating it like it is."

She nodded and sniffled. "Okay. And you had to tell me this on such a happy day, you asshole."

He laughed as they shifted apart just enough that their elbows were touching as they sat side by side. "What can I say? I'm a lovable asshole."

"Shut up."

"CONGRATULATIONS!"

Confetti rained down on the Banks siblings, closely followed by streamers, balloons, balloon animals, the occasional popped balloon (they can see the darts, Clint), and even random bits of plaster. Tony prayed they didn't notice that last part.

Tania and Graham's forced smiles melted into real ones as they were absorbed into the crowd of Avengers and their friends and family. The original six were all there: Tony, Bruce, Steve, Thor, Clint, and Natasha. Then there were Pepper, Rhodey, Betty, Jane, Darcy, Erik, Peter, and Happy, all lingering around the highly colourful party deck of the Tower, decorated with hundreds of party lights, disco balls, lava lamps, etc. You name it, they've got it. Music blared at just the right volume thanks to JARVIS being able to control how loud or how soft it played and adjust accordingly to the atmosphere so that everyone could hear each other.

Tania was swept away from her brother, where the others swarmed him with congratulations and applause. She smiled sadly, watching. She wished she had a camera in that moment. She never wanted to forget a single second of her brother's life. Especially if he never came home…

She felt the tears start to reform and quickly turned away. She blinked furiously in an effort to stop them from falling. This was Graham's day – she couldn't put attention on herself and ruin it. She strode over to the bar and grabbed a glass of alcohol, lined up in a perfect row with several others, and downed it in one go. It burned her throat and she cringed for a good five seconds but she could already feel her cheeks flushing and her mind being reworked in that stupid way alcohol does. She would have a huge headache tomorrow, but she needed this relief _now_. She grabbed another glass and sipped it just as an unsuspecting Steve waltzed over and snaked his arms around her waist from behind, placing a soft kiss on the neck.

"Hi."

She chuckled. "Hi."

"Did he like the car?"

"Mmhm."

"What about your present?"

She frowned. "I… haven't given it to him yet." She turned halfway, looking over her right shoulder. Brown eyes roamed for her brother. She found him in a secluded corner of the room, hands in his pockets and feet shuffling awkwardly. A foot or two away, stood Darcy, listening to him intently with furrowed eyebrows. They both held empty glasses.

Tania turned away. She'd give her gift to him later.

"Hey." Steve's gentle hand against her cheek brought her gaze back to him. "Are you okay?" He stood up properly so that they were face to face.

She nodded. "Yeah, I just…" Crap. Stupid tears. She wiped them away hastily. "He's so grown up."

He smiled, mouth closed. Up and down his hands rubbed her arms. "I think you've got a case of the 'leaving the nest syndrome'." He furrowed his eyebrows. "Or something like that."

She burst out laughing, only to stop abruptly and try to cover it with a cough. Goodness, she looked ridiculous. "Ahem. I think you might be right."

"That's what happens when you raise someone."

_Raise someone…_ "Yeah." She brought the wine to her lips.

There was a small pause as Steve scrutinized her. More pink invaded her face – this time not from her drink. "There's something else, isn't there?"

She sighed. "There is. But I shouldn't tell you. I'll let Graham tell you."

At that moment, a slap resounded throughout the room, followed by the shattering of glass. They both whirled around toward the noise. In the corner from before, Graham stood with his head twisted to the left and a red cheek, while Darcy remained on shaky legs before him; left arm stretched over her torso toward the right. Through some sort of magical AI intuition, JARVIS lowered the music to two percent so that it was barely audible in the background. The lights came up brighter than before, revealing more details of the scene.

Darcy was panting. And crying. Her eyes were puffy and red and her knees were wobbling. Her mouth was open just a little bit as she glared at her boyfriend. Or was it ex-boyfriend now?

Graham was frozen, right hand still in the air as if holding a glass, when it was actually in shards on the hardwood floor. His neck was still craned from the slap, unmoving. His adam's apple bobbed up and down and his chest rose and fell to an upbeat rhythm.

Everyone else stared. No one dared say a word.

Darcy lowered her arm. She turned, slowly, making eye contact with only Jane before lowering her gaze and covering her mouth with her hand. Graham, who was close enough, and Steve, who had super hearing, heard the whisper she breathed before she fled from the room, glass crunching and balloons popping beneath her shoe-clad feet.


	3. Chapter II

**A/N. Hey guys! So I didn't get an answer as to whether or not you wanted these to come WAY later yet all at once or scattered and ASAP. So, for now it will be scattered as I don't have the next chapter written nor a single clue as to when that will be. Things are Juuuuuust about to get SUPER HECTIC for me so please go easy on me. I promise I will update whenever I have the time, but time is not something I have at the moment. Don't hate me. So now, without further ado, the next chapter. Enjoy :D**

**I don't own the Avengers or anything else you recognize not from this universe.**

CHAPTER II

The party deck was a complete dump. And according to Tony, it was nothing. He'd seen worse. Tania, of course, had attended college parties. She had also seen the wreckage afterward and it was pretty similar to the aftermath of Graham's grad party.

She stepped cautiously over broken glass, shredded streamers, torn banners, shattered disco balls, spilled alcohol, and a multitude of colourful balloons both popped and un-popped. She cringed at the crunching disco ball beneath her heel but kept going; tip-toeing toward the bar, where her brother sat, hugging a bottle of whisky by the neck and gulping it every so often.

He was either drunk off his ass or incredibly deep in thought because he jumped when she sat down beside him. When he saw it was her, he relaxed and swiped his finger along the rim of the bottle guiltily.

She bent her fingers toward her in a gesture to pass her the drink. He sighed and did so without looking up from the counter. She brought it to her lips and tipped her head back, finishing it off. Her throat burned but she pushed the thought aside and slammed the bottle back onto the counter.

"So."

"So."

A pause.

"You wanna tell me what happened?" She turned her head toward him, leaning her elbows on the counter. Her hair was in disarray and she brushed a few strands behind her ear to better see him.

He clenched his teeth and pointed to his cheek. "You saw what happened."

Her eyes softened. "I'm sorry, Gray."

"… I know."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Not really."

"Is that a-?"

"No."

"Alright, fine." She turned back to face the kitchen. They sat in contemplative silence for a little while, both fiddling with whatever they could find. Eventually, she slid a black box over to him wordlessly.

He looked up at her, having almost forgotten about the graduation present she had promised him. He eyed her warily, silently asking permission. She focused on the ground in front of her and nodded.

He gently lifted the lid from the square box. He stopped breathing.

Lying among inky velvet sat the SHIELD badge that was sewn on every agent's uniform. But this one was different. Beneath the bird was the infinity symbol, carved into the thick silver. Knowing his sister, there was more to this present than just the unexpected. He slowly flipped the light insignia in his palm. There was an engraving on the back as well.

_To my brother,_  
_Agent Banks of S.H.I.E.L.D,_  
_S'mores of the Honorary Avengers Club,_  
_And_  
_Graham Banks of the Best Big Brother Ever Society_  
_(Members: 1)_  
_You are a true hero._  
_I think you know who this is from ;-)_

Graham snorted. It was nice to know that his sister had retained her sense of humour through all that she'd been through. He knew that whenever he looked at this badge he'd think of her. It was the size of his palm and could be pinned to any shirt. Even if he couldn't wear it on his uniform for regulations or whatever reason, he would carry this with him across the sea. He curled his fingers around it and finally looked up to Tania.

She shrugged. "Congrats."

"Thank you," he breathed. He was at a loss for words, mouth forming weird shapes for several seconds before he just gave up. They lapsed into silence once more. As Graham was debating which present was better, the car or the badge, her voice cut through his thoughts like one of Clint's arrows.

"She's an idiot to let you go."

He snorted. "She was smart to leave me. Before I left her."

Tania smacked his bicep, but almost missed because of her lack of coordination thanks to alcohol. "She shouldn't have… have slapped you."

He shrugged with one shoulder. "I deserved it."

"No you do- didn't."

Her statement was met with silence, during which she hiccupped and nearly toppled over. She gripped the counter for support and ground her teeth as Graham reached a hand out to steady her. "You okay?"

She groaned. The rooms started spinning. "No- fuck." Everything tilted sideways and she expected to feel the sharp pricks of glass pierce her skin, but all she was aware of was a pair of arms around her waist, back arched and hair hanging above the floor. Her stomach lurched. She knew nothing more.

* * *

She awoke to gentle kisses all over her face. Steve. She smiled, giving away her consciousness. She felt his lips press against hers and kissed him back, raising one hand to grasp the hairs at the back of his neck. This was her favourite way to wake up. He smiled against her mouth and whispered with minty breath, "Good morning, Darling."

She hummed and twirled her fingers in his hair. It was getting just a tad long. He would have to cut it soon. But for now, she was content to play with it like a cat with yarn – but with fewer claws. "Morning, Dear." She yawned.

Suddenly, what felt like a hammer smashed into her head and she groaned, pressing her cold palms to her throbbing temples. Something cold and hard pressed against her forehead and she relaxed, focusing on the ice pack rather than the pain. Her headache slowly dulled until her head was numb.

She opened her eyes. Sure enough, Steve sat on the edge of the bed, playing with the fingers on her right hand, sliding his own in the spaces between hers. His face was calm and relaxed, unlike the disapproving frown she had been expecting. But she wasn't about to complain.

"What…?" Ow. Okay. Let's try that again. She sucked in a breath. "What time is it?"

"Ten thirty," he answered without looking up.

"Please tell me it's Saturday," she pleaded, dread seeping into her bones. If she was late for work, that ass-hat from Arrow Inc. would attack like a piranha.

He nodded and she breathed a sigh of relief. He looked up, sparkling blue entrancing chocolate-y brown. "Graham told everyone everything. At breakfast this morning."

She tried to nod but quickly remembered that was a bad idea and stopped before her head could pound any harder. "So you know."

"We all do. And I don't blame you for drinking away your problems. Heaven knows I've tried many times." He laughed humourlessly. "But you should have come to me."

"What would I have said?"

"You didn't have to say anything. I would have been there for you. No matter what."

She sighed and closed her eyes, sinking deeper into the bed. "I know. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I had already had alcohol at that point. I was messed up. Sorry. Did I say that already?"

He chuckled and leaned over her, pecking her nose affectionately before rising to his feet. "Yes, but I don't mind." He winked at her before handing her a mug of coffee that had been waiting for her on the nightstand.

The scent of it wafted into her nose and she could feel her body start to anticipate it. Oh yes, she had an addiction alright. But as long as she had those things that whitened her teeth, who cared? Steve helped her to sit up slowly and she quickly downed a pill with a sip of steaming hot coffee. She thanked him but he refused her gratitude. She shrugged, having half expected that already.

She adjusted the sheets around her and patted the pillow to her left. He raised an eyebrow before crawling over her legs to reach the other side, after which he promptly wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head. She felt infinitely warmer in his grasp.

"So what are the plans for the summer? I'm sure Tony has something he wants us to do. Vacation, adventure, I don't know."

Steve stiffened just a little bit. In a flash it was gone. She noticed but brushed it off. He didn`t seem nervous or anything. He shrugged. "Me neither. He didn't mention anything at breakfast."

A loud rumble interrupted their small talk. They both laughed until Tania held her head and groaned. He twisted his torso to the left and grabbed a tray of bacon and eggs with toast and hash browns and placed it in her lap.

"Oh my God, you're the best." She kissed his cheek.

"That's what I get for being the best?" he teased, lips quirked.

"Oh trust me, when I'm feeling up to it, you'll get a whole lot more."

He grinned.

* * *

The week passed by fast. Too fast. Tania felt like she was in a marathon and lagging behind, trying desperately to catch up to the time of the other runners – but that finish line was ever elusive. Until suddenly it wasn't. She was across and she didn't even remember half the race. It like an elastic band had snapped back into place. She had caught up to everyone; but this is the last place she wanted to be.

She stood beside Steve, one arm around his waist with one of his around her shoulders. The other Avengers all stood behind her – all except for Graham. He stood facing them all, the wind gently tugging at his hair (at everyone's hair really but she was solely focused on him). He gripped the handle of his suitcase with white knuckles but otherwise didn't show any signs of anxiety.

Cars honked and tires squealed down below, gently reaching their ears on the helipad, where Graham would take a Stark jet to the base. The sun was setting, casting an eerie, orange glow over the Tower along with the New York City skyline.

No one spoke. Graham was leaving. Possibly forever. Tears were already cascading down Tania's face and soon she couldn't hold it in any longer. She launched herself across the pad and threw her arms around her brother, sobbing into his shoulder. He squeezed her back tightly, seemingly not wanting to ever let go. For a time they stood like that, just memorizing what it was like to be with the other… one more time.

But eventually she had to let go – so she did (regretfully, mind you). "I love you, Gray," she choked out. "You had better try your fucking hardest to come back to me or I'll kill you."

He snorted but didn't comment. Instead, he kissed her forehead. "I love you too, Tani. Good-bye."

She stepped back and tried to hold herself together. Steve wound his arms around her and she sunk into his side, melding together like two pieces of a puzzle. She sloppily wiped her tears away with the back of her hand. She needed to stay strong – at least for now.

The others said their farewells one by one, sometimes in groups, until Graham and Darcy locked eyes. Neither moved.

A breeze swept over them, blowing in the West. The sun disappeared, shrouding the city in darkness. Graham nodded and turned, the wheels on his luggage squeaking. He tossed it into the helicopter with ease. He had one hand on the door, ready to pull himself in, when-

"WAIT!"

He turned just in time to catch Darcy as her lips met his. He could taste the salt of her tears and raised a hand to her cheek, brushing them away with his thumb. Tania looked up at the sky as they shared this private moment. She quickly spotted the moon and the stars among the purple. Maybe Darcy wasn't an idiot after all. Maybe… she could still make her brother happy.

When she heard the door slam closed, she dared to turn back. Darcy walked backward, one fist loosely held against her chest. The blades on the helicopter began to spin, faster and faster. The wind picked up and Tania soon couldn't see anything besides her own hair. She clawed it away from her face and watched as the vehicle lifted into the air. Her clothes flapped about her awkwardly but she ignored it.

In the driver's seat, Phil Coulson saluted them. He had offered to personally escort Graham to base. Beside him, there Graham sat. He waved shyly and cracked a lopsided smile followed by a shaky thumbs-up. Tania blew him a kiss.

Then he was gone.

**A/N. BTW there will be Agents of SHIELD references in here. I haven't seen the last episode though. ALSO. Not sure if I mentioned this before, but in case I didn't, Thor 2 - in order for this fic to be as canon as possible - happened before the events of Sitting at a Coffee... you know the rest. It also happened after the events of the Avengers. So pretend that makes sense. As of now, I will be writing with the events of Thor 2 having already happened sometime between May and July of 2012. So there will probably be spoilers in here. Also, because my fic contains Loki as the main villain, I'm assuming he's just been AWOL all this time until now. So everyone thinks he's dead. Ignore Thor's speech about him being imprisoned in Coffee With You 3.5, pretend he was just saying that so that the crowd wouldn't cheer and make the guy feel bad. Ahem. I believe that's all I have to say. :) Happy belated New Year!**


	4. Chapter III

**A/N. Hey guys! Guess who? ME. As if you didn't already know. Anyway, here's chapter 3, sorry for the wait, I've been absolutely SWAMPED with work but I didn't pass my two week deadline for these chapters yet so that's good. It feels like so much longer than two weeks though. Maybe it's just me. So I posted the trailer script for this story on my profile at the very bottom and it hit me when I posted it that all of the stories in this series have the same plot over and over and over again but reimagined with different villains. Did you guys notice this? Does it bother you guys? I'm very curious.**

**P.S. This book will be significantly darker than the others, however there will be fluff (because I LOVE fluff xD) and other happy things (like Happy). And there will be no torture in this one, but it's more of a psycological darkness rather than physical darkness (if that makes sense). Tania's just struggling with everything that's happened and it's all catching up to her - the super heroes, the aliens, the mad scientists, the assassins, the other realms, the time travel... it's all taking it's toll and she's questioning who she really is and if this is the right path for her. I really wanted a story like this because I can't expect to just throw someone into the world of superheroes and have them NOT come out unscathed (not that she's going to come out from the realm of super heroes at all but you know what I mean). So yeah. Enjoy :D**

**Disclaimer - I don't own the Avengers or anything else you recognize from somewhere else. I own Tania and Graham. And Drew and Peter (not Parker), Mindy, John, Mr. Greene, any and all OCs. I do NOT own Justine Hammer, she is a character from the comics. Anyway. On with the show-er, story ;)**

CHAPTER III

Nose buried in a book, Tania sat with her knees to one side in the armchair Bruce often occupied. With her feet tucked between the cushion and the arm, she rested The Hobbit in her lap and continued reading, flipping the page delicately.

Tinkering in the kitchen, Pepper and Betty worked diligently to fix up some dinner. Metal clanged lightly and cabinet doors opened and closed, followed by the hushed whispers of the two women not willing to disturb their friend.

Tania ignored them and continued reading, lost in the world of Middle Earth. She jumped when a hand landed on her shoulder and slammed her book closed, losing her page. Tony stood behind her with a mischievous smile on his face. "What's up, Buttercup?" He asked, plopping onto the couch adjacent to her.

She sighed and began flipping through the book, trying to find her page. "Nothing," she mumbled. Hm. She must have passed it. She started flipping again.

"Stop acting so depressed already. We're over it. Have ice cream or something. Isn't that what girls do when they're sad? Have ice cream?"

"Typically for break ups, but yes, we do occasionally binge on ice cream," Pepper answered without looking up from her pan of (believe it or not) peppers. Betty worked on the mashed potatoes beside her.

Tony snapped his fingers. "Do that, then. What's your favourite flavour?"

Tania found her page and quickly bookmarked it before closing her novel and sighing. She had a feeling she wouldn't be able to continue reading for a little while. "I don't have one."

"What?! That's preposterous! You have to have one! Everyone has a favourite flavour of ice cream."

She rolled her eyes, stretching her legs out in front her. She shook them out as they had fallen asleep. A yawn intercepted her answer. "If you must know, I suppose you could consider cookie dough my favourite flavour. It's my go-to choice."

"I see…" He appeared deep in thought. That usually didn't end well.

"Whatever crazy idea you've got in your head right now, you can squash it like a bug."

He raised an eyebrow at her. "Someone got up on the wrong side of the bed today."

She tilted her head from side to side, cracking her neck. "No. I didn't. I just…" she looked down at the floor, unable to continue. She could feel the tears threatening to fall just at the corners of her eyes and she was trying so hard not to let them see. But he was smarter than that.

He stood up and grabbed her hand before pulling her to her feet. He wrapped his arms around her, palms pressed flat between her shoulder blades and on the small of her back with her chin on his shoulder. She closed her eyes and leaned into him.

"I'm sorry, Tony. You're right, I am cranky, I just… I don't know what to do."

"There's nothing you can do," he replied in her ear. "He made his choice. You need to get on with your life."

"I know. But I think I'll spend today… and only today, missing him. I'm gonna go." She pulled away from him.

"Don't move on too quickly and go finding yourself another brother now. Pretty sure he wouldn't appreciate that."

She slapped his arm half-heartedly, a ghost of a smile on her face. "Goodnight guys," she waved to the three of them.

"But what about dinner?" Pepper lifted the pan to showcase her meal but Tania just shook her head.

"It looks delicious, Pepper, but I'm just not hungry right now. I'm sorry. Good night." She stepped into the elevator, book in hand, and was gone.

Tony turned to the girls. "Is it me or does she seem depressed? Like, more depressed than normal?"

Betty nodded in agreement. "Obviously she's sad about Graham leaving, but I didn't think she'd take it this hard," she said while mashing the potatoes.

"Well she has taken care of him for almost all her life. He's like her baby." Pepper turned to her husband. "Imagine if our future child were to one day say, 'I'm off to fight a war' totally out of the blue. How would you react?"

Tony blinked, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. "… you're pregnant?"

She slapped her forehead. "No, Tony. I speaking theoretically."

"Oh right. Ahem. I knew that. Really?"

"What if there's a deeper meaning to this?" Betty wondered. "What if he's a symbol for something?"

"Like what?" The red head wanted to know.

"Like… I don't know… her childhood? Have you noticed that Tania doesn't laugh anymore? I mean, she does, but… not often. And sometimes I think she's faking it."

"You noticed that too? I thought it was just me, but yeah, she seems so depressed."

Tony sat down at the bar stool across from the kitchen island to the two women in front of him. "Well can you blame her, really? She was tortured by HYDRA, died, came back to life, and watched as HYDRA tortured Steve. She's prob- She has PTSD."

"And you know this for certain?"

Suddenly, he got a little reserved. "Um. I... uh. Just a hunch." He drummed his fingers on the granite nervously.

The women shared a knowing look. Betty stopped her mashing. "You know something." She narrowed her eyes.

Was it getting hot in here? Tony pulled at his collar uncomfortably. "Um."

"Spill," Pepper ordered, pouring the peppers onto a large green platter.

So Tony regaled the story of Tania's panic attack in the shower and how JARVIS had contacted him to help her, seeing as he had PTSD himself. He explained that he suspected she was having nightmares on a regular basis and they were only getting worse. "It would explain why she's still feeling this way after six months. It started out mild because she was distracted by her birthday and her anniversary and reuniting with us but now that she's back, she's struggling to keep her mind off of what happened. Steve tells me she thrashes in bed every night and he holds her down while she sleeps so that she won't hit him in the middle of the night. It's killing both of them."

"Why didn't you say anything before?"

"They both didn't want anyone to know. They don't like showing weakness and vulnerability. I can understand that."

"Tony," Pepper chastised, "our friends need our help."

"But they don't want it."

"Sometimes you have to give it to them whether they want it or not." She turned her attention to the oven below the counter. "What can we do though?"

"Tania's PTSD mainly stems from water. I'm not a hundred percent sure but I… I think she may have been water boarded."

Gasps echoed throughout the room. Too many. The trio turned to face the elevator, where Clint and Natasha stood in front of the doors, followed by Bruce, who was looking a little green.

"I can't be sure!" He rushed to confess, arms in the air as a sign of peace. "But there had to have been some sort of water torture or something going on to be so scared of it. I used to be like that."

"How did you get over it?" Natasha asked, gliding over to claim the stool on his left with Clint at hers. Bruce leaned against the counter on the right, arms crossed.

Tony shrugged. "Time. And Pepper. And more deadly things." He shrugged. "Mostly the threat of my life being taken if I didn't get over my fear. When the mansion went down… I was underwater longer than humanly possible. But of course I had the suit but it was still terrifying. But I survived it. And now I'm fine with water. I think that's partly the reason Tania isn't afraid of heights anymore. She jumped through that window with Steve willingly to save their lives – and the Hulk caught them. She got over it."

"I don't think it would be wise to try and drown her to help her," Bruce deadpanned.

"Well of course not. That would be stupid," Clint agreed. "Don't we all have PTSD? We're… fine-ish."

"This is Tania's first time," Natasha argued. "She has a support system but she's not using it. We need to show her that we're here for her. We didn't have the other Avengers to help us out of our shit, but she does. And we can't let her fall any farther than she already has."

"What do you suggest, oh mighty Tash?" The mechanic asked mockingly.

She cuffed Tony in the back of the head. He mewled. She ignored him. "We need to spend time with her. A lot. Don't let her be alone for too long at a time."

"Oh and you know this because you're so good with people?"

She cuffed him again. "She needs cheering up. Don't act overly cheery, but suggest doing cheery-type things with her." She looked around. "Where's Steve?"

"Captain Rogers is in his room, Agent Romanoff," JARVIS answered from above. "He and Miss Banks are currently watching a movie."

"At least she's not alone." Clint shrugged and spun his stool around a couple of times out of boredom.

"Tomorrow, everyone work at this plan, got it? … where's Thor?"

"ETA is twenty-eight point two seconds. Twenty-seven. Twenty-six. Twenty-five…" As JARVIS spoke the countdown, Natasha continued her little speech.

"Once we fill Thor in, we put the plan in motion, got it?"

Bruce raised his hand. "Question: should we involve Steve in this?"

A pause. The red headed assassin nodded, curls bouncing. "Yes. But not today. Tomorrow morning at the gym, I'll tell him."

"Alright."

The elevator doors opened. "I have arrived, my brothers and sisters!" He swung inside the lounge, slowing his pace when he noticed the somber mood. "Is the Son of Coul dead again?"

Tony snorted. "No big guy. Come on. We'll discuss it over dinner."

"Marvelous!"

Betty finished setting the table and stepped back. "Dig in!"

* * *

The next morning, Natasha made her way to the state of the art gym at exactly five thirty, dressed in her workout clothes: shorts and a camisole. She found Steve bench pressing in the corner. Damn. That's almost two tons. She shook her head clear. She should be used to his super soldier serum super powers by now.

She approached him and waited patiently for him to finish his set.

"Two-hundred-ninety-nine…" He grunted, sweat dripping down his forehead. "Three hundred." He set the weights on the bar and rested his head back against the bench for a few seconds' rest. After catching his breath, he sat up and grabbed his water bottle.

"What can I do for you, Nat?" He took a swig.

She placed her hands on her hips. "You've noticed Tania's mood lately right?" Always the blunt one, she was.

He frowned but nodded, dabbing at his face with the towel beside him. "I've been trying to get her to leave the Tower for weeks but she won't go anywhere. She won't even come to our coffee shop with me. She just spends hours working, reading, or in the gallery."

"We think it's PTSD."

"It has to be."

"Tony told us about the nightmares."

He broke their eye contact to stare at the floor. "I think they're about Schmidt."

Her eyes narrowed. "What about him?"

"She killed him." He looked up again. "I think she sees that moment, over and over again. She took someone's life for the first time and she's struggling with the thought of it even if she consciously knows it was the right thing to do, her subconscious won't leave her alone. Guilt plagues her. Not only that, but… she didn't have much hope you guys would come rescue us."

Natasha blinked in surprise. This was news to her. Tania and Steve had spoken very little about their time in captivity. They'd mentioned little details here and there but never the whole story. At the time, it had still been so new and fresh and raw that neither wanted to get into it. They never ended up telling their story from start to finish.

She sat down next to him so that their hips were touching. She and Steve had gotten pretty close over the past year. They went on missions as partners almost as much as she and Clint did – but Clint would always be her go-to man. Always. Still, she trusted Steve with almost everything. She even teased him sometimes about asking out Kristen from Statistics at SHIELD. He'd always reply that he was taken and sometimes, if he was in a teasing or playful mood, he's simply reply that he was too dedicated to Tania or just plain too busy.

"Why not?" she asked, bringing herself back to reality.

Steve shrugged. "We were in a very dark place. It was hard for her to see the light, I guess."

"Or maybe you were her light and it was hard for her to see past that," she suggested.

The corner of his lips quirked upward. "I think I like that better."

She chuckled and lightly shoved her shoulder into his. "Well, Tony theorizes that her PTSD is getting worse, so as a team, we decided we'd-"

At that moment, Tania walked in the door dressed in sweat pants and a camisole similar to Natasha's, but hers was red while the spy's was green. She seemed in a daze.

Natasha continued her sentence as if she hadn't noticed the brunette's entrance. "-have a big group outing this Friday night. What do you think?"

Steve knew that wasn't what she meant to say. But he played along anyway, if a little warily. "I think that's a great idea." He turned to his girlfriend, who kissed the top of his head in passing. "What do you think, Darling?"

"Hm?" She turned to face them after setting her bottle down by the mat. She began to stretch her neck and shoulders.

"About an Avengers outing?" he reiterated.

She shrugged. "Sure. Where are we going?"

He quickly looked to Tasha for answers. "Skating," she replied with ease.

They both eyed her sceptically. "Skating?" Tania repeated. "In the middle of July?"

Natasha shrugged as if it hadn't been her idea on the spot. "Blame Tony. He rented out a whole arena so we could have it to ourselves."

"Sounds like him," the brunette agreed. "Alright. I haven't been skating since Whistler." A small smile lit her face. Natasha and Steve both revelled in it.

"Alright then." The red head pushed herself to her feet. "Steve, can you tell Tony that the plan is a go?"

He nodded and chugged the rest of his water before exiting with a salute to the agent and a kiss to his girlfriend. When he was gone, Natasha turned to her friend. "Alright. All warmed up?"

Tania nodded.

"Then let's get-" Out of the blue, she swung her arm at her opponent which was quickly blocked by Tania's forearm. A palm zoomed toward her face and Nat bent backward, grabbing Tania in the proper hold and flipping over her own body to the ground behind her. Without letting go, she spun around on her heels with her arms over her head and pinned Tania to the mat. "Expect the unexpected."

Tania groaned. This was going to be a long day.

**A/N. I apologize for any mistakes. I don't have a beta. I'm looking for one though. If any of you know a good beta or are a good beta, please PM me. Thank you.**


	5. Chapter IV

**A/N. Hi guys! It feels like forever between each update, but it's no further than two weeks. Doesn't seem like long, does it? Anyway, here's chapter 4 and I hope you enjoy :D Also, thank you to my new beta Lollypops101 for editing this chapter.**

**Disclaimer - I do not own Marvel's Disney's The Avengers.**

CHAPTER IV

"When you said he rented a whole arena, I didn't think you meant an arena in another country," Tania deadpanned. "And why are we going by boat? Canada is right next door."

Natasha simply shrugged in response.

"Because it's a cruise. Call it a detour, if you will," Tony answered as he passed behind them. "Relax, Piggy Bank! Have some champagne!"

She sighed and gripped the railing tighter. She had to admit that this was very relaxing. The ocean breeze (why were they going by ocean again?) gently kissed her skin and she breathed in deeply. She could almost feel her pores opening, her hold on the railing loosening, her muscles unclenching... it was wholesome, she supposed was the right word.

Beside her, Natasha leaned on the bar with crossed arms as her red curls blew into her face. She didn't react to it and instead closed her eyes, taking in the fresh air. "Because he's Tony."

Well that was reason enough to take a boat to a place you could easily drive to. She turned and leaned back against the metal, head tilted back toward the sun. She couldn't remember the last time she felt like this. For lack of a better word, she felt free. There were no walls or ceilings on the deck, nothing to trap her or make her feel caged. Brief flashes of dark prisons, men dressed in white, blue engulfing her, then red, shattered glass, water inhal-

She gasped and launched herself forward, stumbling the first few steps before crashing into the wall of the cabin not too far away. Natasha was at her side in an instant, hand hovering behind her friend's back.

Tania clutched at her chest and held her breath. Her heart was racing and her head was pounding like the floor at a rave. She leaned against the cabin for support and let out a shaky exhale.

"Tania?" Natasha called again, finally audible over the beating heart in Tania's ears. "Do you want me to get Steve?"

The brunette shook her head and stood up. She lifted her chin and pretended the episode had never happened. She tried to apologize with her eyes as she pushed past Natasha onto the more open side of the deck, where the other Avengers were.

Natasha hesitated before following after. It was painfully obvious that the girl had just had a flashback or panic attack of some sort. The team attempt at helping Tania get over her fear of water appeared to be sinking. But perhaps time was all she needed. She watched as the Stark Employee found a lounge chair near the center, furthest away from the edge and the swirling waters below, and cracked open a book. It was a different book than before and much thicker. How much time had Tania spent reading instead of living?

It wasn't that reading was a bad thing, not at all. It was just that more and more, Tania was falling into other worlds in a vain attempt at escaping her own. Though effective, Natasha had to admit that she could see her isolation was affecting the others. Herself included.  
Pepper and Betty were almost always together. Since Tania had started distancing herself from the others, Pepper had started bonding with Mrs. Banner a little more. Perhaps that had contributed to the refrainment from the Avengers. Natasha could sympathize.

Then there was Tony, who wasn't visibly affected; when she wasn't around, at least. When they were together, the assassin's keen eyes caught his numerous attempts at cheering her up and touching her at every chance he could. A pat on the back here, an arm around the shoulder there, and an unexpected hug whenever he could, rendering them pretty expected. It was a little obvious that Tony had seen Tania at her worst - at a time when no one else was around - and because of that, he felt it was his duty to help her get out of her depression. There wasn't another word for it. Not that Natasha could think of.

Bruce acted differently too. A while back, he'd admitted to spending perhaps too much time with his wife and not enough with his friends, so he'd cut back a tad. Nat knew that he had been looking forward to spending more time with Tania, as they didn't do so very often anymore, but had been rightfully disappointed when she declined and chose instead to read a book or to sketch in her gallery as Steve had said. Bruce loved to read too, and often times he would offer to read side by side or jokingly over her shoulder. She would laugh and accept sometimes but those occasions were becoming few and far between. Across from Tania now, Bruce also read a book. He eyed her over his glasses for a second before returning to his place on the page.

Thor had noticed, of course he had. But he wasn't much affected by it. He and Tania weren't the closest of friends, however he was always just a smidge more somber whenever they talked. It was like he lost a little of his jovial personality as soon as he addressed her, as if sensing her sadness and adjusting himself accordingly.

Jane had only been living in the Tower for less than two months, but she had quickly taken to her fellow scientists. For the first few weeks, both Natasha and Clint were hyper aware of her fear of the SHIELD agents, having not had the best experiences with the organization and knowing that they murdered on a sometimes weekly basis. The shy astrophysicist mostly kept to herself and to Thor. In other words, she and Tania hardly interacted. They got along and made small talk but they weren't real friends. Natasha liked to think her bond to the business woman turned honorary Avenger was stronger at least than Jane's. So, the tiny scientist hardly noticed or reacted to Tania's mood.

Clint was noticeably a little more lonely than usual. Tania was arguably the person in the Tower he was closest to (excluding Tasha, of course). After training with Natasha in the mornings, Tania and a few others (namely Betty and Bruce) joined Clint in shooting lessons every other day. At this point it was more practice than actual learning. Clint and Tania were really close, almost as close as, dare she say it, Tania and Graham were. It was obvious that the archer and the BETA unofficial leader would never have the history or relationship that blood relation created. But they loved each other all the same. Excluding the friendship, Clint also felt he owed her a debt. He'd assigned himself as her protector more than once and had failed on almost both occasions. It seemed that debts and saving lives was how assassins made friends. As Tania fell deeper and deeper into depression, Clint tried harder and harder to yank her out of it, but none of his plots were working. Still, he kept at it.

Natasha herself was not visibly affected, but she did worry. More than she thought she would. Like it or not, everyone in the Tower had wormed their way into her heart one way or another. She refused to say anything else on the subject.

Graham had been a lot calmer around his sister as well. Something had gone down between them that had caused a minor separation but was mended almost to perfection. But Natasha still noticed.

Steve was obviously affected the most. Dealing with his own PTSD (as most of them did), Steve had a healthy outlet or outlets. He punched bags, worked out, drew, and went for walks. They helped him to cope. Tania did all of those things too, but she was still suffering. Nat knew for a fact that Steve willingly opened up to her - told her every little secret he'd ever had. Tania did that too - or she used to. Now she was closed-lipped, unwilling to bring up the topic for fear of reliving it, if only in her imagination.

Everyone knew she had to talk about it. But the question was, how?

* * *

Justine Hammer walked with a purpose. She marched through the knee-high snow and ignored the blizzard-like storm raging on. Finally, she shoved open an old wooden door, soaked all the way through from the snowflakes mixed with rain. She stumbled in and slammed it closed with her foot, shifting the fur hat she wore on her head in a little gesture for her pride.

She pulled off her white gloves and strode further towards the warmth of the roaring fire place in the center of the room. The flames snapped and crackled and cast a glow of orange and red upon the brown walls of the tavern. Big, buff, burly men sat on couches, arm chairs, and stools scattered around the room, each with a bottle or glass of alcohol in their hands. Merry laughter and shouts almost completely blocked out the rough, choppy music in the background, emanating from the radio in the corner.

Justine approached the counter and slammed her palm onto it, startling the men sitting on stools to her right. The bartender whipped his head around to face her, a scowl drawn deep into his face. He was a plump man, with a balding head of black hair with a long and curly mustache and a wide nose. He growled a little under his breath and approached, cleaning the glass in his hands as he went.

"Что?" he asked gruffly. What?

"красная комната," she replied smoothly. _Red Room._

The man paused in his cleaning for a split second before resuming. "следуй за мной," he barked, gesturing for her to follow him._ Follow me._

She did so, leaping over the counter with ease. When they had gone behind the swinging double doors and turned a few dark corners, the man rounded on her, eyes ablaze. "Кто ты?" he whispered, eyes narrowed. _Who are you?_

"Ищу кого-то с зуб на Натальи Романовой."_ I am looking for someone with a grudge against Natalia Romanova._

The man's eyebrow quirked upward. They stared at one another for a very long time. Eventually, the man broke the glare. He reached up and pulled at his nose. It came off with a harsh tug, revealing a smaller, daintier nose beneath. His wide, chubby fingers pulled at his scalp. That too, came off. Piece by piece, the disguise fell apart until a shapely blonde woman stood before her, clad only in a black catsuit.

Justine didn't react but to smirk. "Sofia, isn't it?" she asked in English.

The blonde woman nodded. "You come looking for the Red Room, but the Red Room is dead." Her Russian accent was thick and hard to understand.

Justine's lips curled upward. She looked devious. "I lied. I was looking for you."

"Why?"

"To recruit you."

"For what?"

"Do you want to kill Natalia Romanova? Or better yet, Tatiana Sokolova."

Sofia's eyes narrowed into slits and she pursed her lips. There was a moment where neither of them spoke as she contemplated Justine's words. Finally, Sofia nodded. "Было бы очень приятно." _It would be very nice._

Justine grinned.


End file.
